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Murphysboro Township vs Herrin

16 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (4× in Herrin) and trails (3.5× in Herrin).

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Murphysboro Township, ILAn outdoors townJackson County · 9,415 people
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Herrin, ILHomes around $113KIllinois · 12,226 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Murphysboro TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors#409 most conserved land in IL0.2 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 21%of IL districts HistorySettled in 184318 archive photos, postcards and papers All about Murphysboro Township →
HerrinHomes around $113K
Housing$113K typical home62% below the IL typical home Outdoors#237 most walkable in IL0.7 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves SafetySafer than 19%of U.S. towns we grade All about Herrin →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid4×
Herrin has the more walkable street grid
Herrin 76.6Murphysboro Township 19.2
Trails3.5×
Herrin has more miles of trail
Herrin 0.7 miMurphysboro Township 0.2 mi
Rent+45%
Rent runs higher in Herrin
Herrin $1,002Murphysboro Township $693
Growth since 2010+9.5 pts
Herrin has grown faster since 2010
Herrin -1.2%Murphysboro Township -10.7%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Herrin places higher on 10 of 18 IL lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Illinois ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
–Murphysboro TownshipNot graded C−HerrinSafer than 19% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−Murphysboro TownshipBetter than 21% of districts in the state B−HerrinBetter than 46% of districts in the state
Health
CMurphysboro TownshipHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns CHerrinHealthier than 33% of U.S. towns
7Murphysboro Township
10Herrin

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Best schoolsSchools · 384 towns #384#193 Most walkableOutdoors · 862 towns #597#237 Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #819#463 Cheapest rentCost of living · 840 towns #39#366 Lowest depressionHealth · 861 towns #565#775 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #507#342 Most conserved landOutdoors · 838 towns #409#568 Most educatedPeople · 862 towns #414#556

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Murphysboro Township’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Murphysboro Township$750/mo
Typical home $109K (Census) · tax rate 2.02% · or rent about $693/mo · Housing →
Herrin$760/mo
Typical home $113K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.82% · or rent about $1,002/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
Murphysboro TownshipHerrin
Snow a year10″10″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)84th79th
Outdoors & history
Murphysboro TownshipHerrin
Trails0 mi1 mi
Conserved land3.6%2.1%
Settled18431816
Archive photos18—
Famous people born here10—
Community
Murphysboro TownshipHerrin
Library hours a week52 hrs47 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

16 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Murphysboro TownshipHerrinMurphysboro TownshipHerrin
Murphysboro Township ↔ Herrin16 miles apart
Who commutes between them
72 Murphysboro Township residents work in Herrin (2.1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Murphysboro Township →
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Murphysboro TownshipHerrin
People
Population 9,415Lowest 12,226Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -10.7%Lowest -1.2%Highest
Median age 41±3.2Lowest 5% above IL 41.2±2.7Highest 6% above IL
Herrin and Murphysboro Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.9%±3.9Highest IL: 21.8% 20.8%±2.8Lowest IL: 21.8%
Murphysboro Township and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 22.4%±3.2Highest IL: 17% 19.1%±2.9Lowest IL: 17%
Murphysboro Township and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.7%Highest IL: 37.8% 22.8%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.6%±1.8Highest IL: 6.3% 4%±1.3Lowest IL: 6.3%
Murphysboro Township and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $52,687±$9kLowest 37% below IL $59,975±$6kHighest 28% below IL
Herrin and Murphysboro Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $108,700±$12kLowest 59% below IL $113,300±$10kHighest 57% below IL
Herrin and Murphysboro Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $693±$143Lowest 46% below IL $1,002±$98Highest 21% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,198Highest 59% below IL $2,059Lowest 61% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42.5%±12.7Lowest IL: 47.9% 51.1%±12.4Highest IL: 47.9%
Herrin and Murphysboro Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 13.9%Lowest IL: 11.8% 14.5%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59.4%Lowest IL: 67.1% 65.7%Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1967Lowest 4 yrs older than IL 1969Highest 2 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 28% below IL 22 minHighest 21% below IL
Work from home 13.1%±4.1Highest IL: 15.9% 10.9%±4.2Lowest IL: 15.9%
Murphysboro Township and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 18.8%Highest 16.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miHighest 8.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.91Highest 0.82Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Carbondale (24%)Marion (23%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in HerrinFew work in Murphysboro Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.6%Highest 2.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Highest 2Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 19.2Lowest 76.6Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #384 of 384 in IL#193 of 384 in IL
School district Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement · Alxndr/Jcksn/Pulsk/Prry/Union ROEHerrin CUSD 4
High school in town Five County Regional AlternativeHerrin High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 12.8
Illinois average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Murphysboro Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Murphysboro Township’s Town Square.

Herrin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Herrin’s Town Square.

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Bordering Murphysboro Township

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Somerset Township3,960 people · $184K homes
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Sand Ridge Township924 people · $154K homes
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Carbondale Township24,933 people · $140K homes
P
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Pomona Township723 people · $167K homes

Towns like Murphysboro Township

W
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West Lincoln Township7,335 people · $133K homes
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Shiloh Township6,520 people · $149K homes
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Olney8,577 people · $100K homes
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Mendota Township7,071 people · $147K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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